Battle of Sirhind (1764)

Last updated
Battle of Sirhind
Part of Indian Campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani
DateJanuary 14, 1764
Location
Result Sikh victory [1]
Territorial
changes
  • Sikhs capture Sirhind. [2] [3]
Belligerents
Kattar Dhal Talwar.jpg Sikh Misls Abdali flag.png Durrani Empire
Commanders and leaders
Strength
23,000 According to Surjit Singh Gandhi [6]
40,000 According to Joseph Davey Cunningham [7]
50,000 According to Giani Gian Singh [8]
Unknown believed to be smaller [9]
Casualties and losses
Unknown

The Battle of Sirhind was fought between Durrani Empire and Sikh Misls on 14 January 1764. [11] [12]

Battle

Ahmad Shah Durrani returned to Afghanistan after appointing Zain Khan Sirhindi as the Governor of Sirhind. Zain Khan Sirhindi, the Afghan Governor was attacked by well equipped force of 40,000 Sikhs. In the battle, the Sikhs killed Zain Khan Sirhindi and many other leading officers of the Afghan army. The Sikhs then established their rule between river Satluj to Yamuna. [5] The Sikhs captured Sirhind and later handed over the land to Maharaja Ala Singh of Patiala State. [13] [14] The city's inhabitants faced particularly harsh treatment from the Sikh armies who razed much of the city and made a deliberate policy of destroying the city's buildings and mosques. [15] [16] [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durrani Empire</span> 1747–1823 Afghan empire founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani

The Durrani Empire or the Afghan Empire, also known as the Sadozai Kingdom, was an Afghan empire that was founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, that spanned parts of Central Asia, the Iranian plateau, and the Indian Subcontinent. At its peak, it ruled over the present-day Afghanistan, much of Pakistan, parts of northeastern and southeastern Iran, eastern Turkmenistan, and northwestern India. Next to the Ottoman Empire, the Durrani Empire is considered to be among the most significant Islamic Empires of the 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azim Khan</span> 19th-century Afghan politician

Sardar Mohammad Azim Khan Barakzai was a Pashtun noble who served as Afghan governor of Kashmir (1812–1819). He was the second son of the Barakzai chief Payinda Sarfaraz Khan, while his elder brother Fateh Khan was kingmaker and Vizier to Mahmud Shah Durrani. He was one of 21 brothers from eight mothers including his half-brother Dost Mohammad Khan who would later become Emir of Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daska</span> City in Punjab, Pakistan

Daska, is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The city is the capital of Daska Tehsil, one of four tehsils of Sialkot District. It is the 50th largest city of Pakistan by population. It is 29th largest by population in Punjab.In Daska There Is Most Villages Like Mandranwala Sahi, Jaisarwala Sahi, Bharoky Sahi etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jassa Singh Ahluwalia</span> Sikh leader and founder of Kapurthala State (1718–1783)

Sultan-ul-Qaum Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was a Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy, being the Supreme Leader of the Dal Khalsa. He was also Misldar of the Ahluwalia Misl. This period was an interlude, lasting roughly from the time of the death of Banda Bahadur in 1716 to the founding of the Sikh Empire in 1801. He founded the Kapurthala State in 1772.

Khushal Singh Virk was the second chief of Singhpuria Misl from 1753 to 1795, extending its territory on both sides of the Sutlej River. His 'acquired' lands included Jalandhar, Nurpur, Bahrampur, Patti and Bharatgarh. Jalandhar doab and adjoining areas yielded an annual income of three lakh rupees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Sirhind</span>

Sirhind is the older name of Fatehgarh Sahib, a city and Sikh pilgrimage site in Punjab, India. It is situated on the Delhi to Lahore Highway. It has a population of about 60,851 . It is now a district headquarters in the state of Punjab; the name of the district is Fatehgarh Sahib.

<i>Vadda Ghalughara</i> Genocide of Sikhs in 1762

Vadda Ghalughara was the mass murder of unarmed Sikhs by the Afghan forces of the Durrani Empire during the years of Afghan influence in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent owing to the repeated incursions of Ahmad Shah Durrani in February 1762. It is distinguished from the Chhota Ghalughara. Mostly non-combatants were killed in the event, and an estimated that 10,000 to 50,000 Sikhs were killed on 5 February 1762.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charat Singh</span> Sardar

Sardar Charat Singh, also romanised as Charhat Singh, was the founder of Sukerchakia Misl and father of Mahan Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh. He distinguished himself at an early age in campaigns against Ahmad Shah Abdali and along with 150 horsemen split from the Singhpuria Misl to establish the Sukerchakia Misl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan–Sikh wars</span> 1748–1837 wars between the Afghan and Sikh empires

The Afghan–Sikh wars spanned from 1748 to 1837 in the Indian subcontinent, and saw multiple phases of fighting between the Durrani Empire and the Sikh Empire, mainly in and around Punjab region. The conflict's origins stemmed from the days of the Dal Khalsa, and continued after the Emirate of Kabul succeeded the Durrani Empire.

Zain-ud-Din Khan known as Zain Khan Sirhindi was the Mughal Faujdar of Sirhind, he was a serviceman of Shah Alam II, an ally of Najib-ud-Daula and Ahmad Shah Durrani. Zain Khan Sirhindi fought during the Third Battle of Panipat and strengthened Mughal rule in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timur Shah Durrani</span> Second Durrani Emperor (r. 1772–1793)

Timur Shah Durrani, also known as Timur Shah Abdali or Taimur Shah Abdali was the second ruler of the Afghan Durrani Empire, from November 1772 until his death in 1793. An ethnic Pashtun, he was the second eldest son of Ahmad Shah Durrani.

The siege of Sirhind was fought between the Mughal Empire and Sikh forces in 1710. The Sikhs besieged, stormed, captured, plundered and razed the city of Sirhind after defeating and beheading Wazir Khan in the Battle of Chappar Chiri.

The Battle of Kup was fought on 5 February 1762, between the Afghan forces of Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Sikhs, under the command of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Charat Singh. Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Afghan forces reached Malerkotla, west of Sirhind. Different sources give various estimates on how many sikhs were present. According to Tom Landsford, nearly 30,000 Sikh men, women, children, and elderly laid encamped. According to Narendra Sinha, 40,000 Sikhs were present. According to Hari Ram Gupta, 50,000 Sikh soldiers laid encamped at Kup while 5,000 non combatants laid encamped at Pind Garma. Abdali's forces outnumbered the Sikhs in hand-to-hand combat and the Sikhs couldn't use their usual tactics of hit and run, but had to engage in battle while protecting the civilians at the same time. With surprise attack, the Sikhs threw a human ring around civilians as protection and fought the battle killing several thousand Afghans. Abdali was able to break the ring and carried out a full scale massacre of the Sikh civilians. Ahmad Shah's forces killed several thousand Sikhs, and the surviving Sikhs fled to Barnala. According to various different estimates, as many as 5,000 to 30,000 Sikh men, women, elderly and children were killed in what is known as the second Sikh genocide.

The Battle of Sialkot took place on 12 November 1763, between the Durrani Empire, led by Jahan Khan, and the Sukerchakia Misl, led by Charat Singh, as part of the Afghan-Sikh wars which concluded with Sikh victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani</span> Overview of 18th-century Afghan military conquests in India under Ahmad Shah Durrani

Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani Empire, invaded Indian subcontinent for eight times between 1748 and 1767, following the collapse of Mughal Empire in the mid-18th century. His objectives were met through the raids and deepened the political crisis in India.

Ahmad Shah Durrani raided India for the fifth time in 1759, initiating a series of conflicts with the Marathas and Sikhs. The Pashtuns, preparing for armed struggle, quickly advanced into Punjab, capturing a Maratha garrison at Peshawar and later overrunning Attock. General Jahan Khan played a key role in the advance but was met with resistance from the Marathas and their Sikh allies, led by Sabaji Shinde and the armies of the Sukerchakia and Ahluwalia Misls. In a fierce battle, the combined forces of the Marathas and Sikhs defeated the Afghans, killing 2,000 and wounding Jahan Khan. Despite being outnumbered, Sabaji managed to defend Lahore and inflicted a severe defeat on Jahan Khan, who retreated to Peshawar. This defeat angered Ahmad Shah Durrani and prompted him to take action.

The Battle of Harnaulgarh was fought between the Durrani Empire and the Sikh Misls of Dal Khalsa in 1762.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Amritsar (1757)</span> Battle between the Durrani and Sikh Empires

The Battle of Amritsar, also known as the Battle of Gohalwar, was fought between the Durrani Empire and Shaheedan Misl of the Dal Khalsa on 11 November 1757. Following the fourth invasion of Ahmad Shah Durrani, his army was attacked by Sikh bands under the command of Ala Singh and Baba Deep Singh. Following the attacks, Ahmad Shah desecrated the Sikh holy site known as the Shri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. The news of the desecration reached Baba Deep Singh who vowed to liberate the holy site from the Afghans. This resulted in a pitched battle being fought in the village of Gohalwar, near Amritsar. The battle resulted in Baba Deep Singh being killed and an Afghan victory.

The siege of Multan was a battle fought between the Sikh forces led by Jhanda Singh Dhillon and the Afghan forces led by Shuja Khan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikh Invasion of Ganga-Yamuna</span> Military invasion in the Doab

The Sikh Invasion of Ganga-Yamuna was the first Sikh Incursion in the neighbouring Doab. It took place right after the Sikh Conquest of Sirhind 1764, where the Durrani Governor Zain Khan Sirhindi was killed. Driven by this victory, Sikhs under the leadership of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia invaded the Upper Doab. 

References

  1. Lansford, Tom (2017-02-16). Afghanistan at War: From the 18th-Century Durrani Dynasty to the 21st Century. ABC-CLIO. ISBN   9781598847604.
  2. 1 2 Bhagata, Siṅgha (1993). A History of the Sikh Misals. Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. p. 181. ...
  3. Syad Muhammad Latif (1984), History of the Panjab from the Remotest Antiquity to the Present Time, Progressive Books, p. 285
  4. Singha, H.S (2000). The encyclopedia of Sikhism. Hemkunt Publishers. p. 11. ISBN   9788170103011 . Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Ganḍā, Singh (1959). Ahmad Shah Durrani: Father of Modern Afghanistan. Asia Pub. House. p. 285. ISBN   978-1-4021-7278-6 . Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  6. Surjit Singh Gandhi (1999). Sikhs In The Eighteenth Century. Singh Bros. p. 398. ISBN   9788172052171.
  7. Cunningham, Joseph Davey (1918). A History Of The Sikhs From The Origin Of The Nation To The Battles Of The Sutlej. p. 110.
  8. Singh, Giani Gian (1898). Panth Prakash. pp. 832–834.
  9. Sarkar, Jadunath (1934). Fall of the Mughal empire Vol II. Central Archaeological Library. p. 492. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  10. VSM, D. S. Saggu (2018-06-07). Battle Tactics And War Manoeuvres of the Sikhs. Notion Press. ISBN   978-1-64249-006-0.
  11. P Dhavan (2011). When Sparrows Became Hawks: The Making of the Sikh Warrior Tradition, 1699-1799. Oxford University Press. p. 92. ISBN   978-0-19-975655-1.
  12. Gupta, Hari (2007). History of the Sikhs Vol II Evolution of the Sikh confedracies. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 202. ISBN   978-81-215-0248-1.
  13. "Marathas and the English Company 1707–1818 by Sanderson Beck". san.beck.org. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
  14. Syad Muhammad Latif (1984), History of the Panjab from the Remotest Antiquity to the Present Time, Progressive Books, p. 274
  15. Randhawa, Karenjot Bhangoo (2012). Civil Society in Malerkotla, Punjab: Fostering Resilience Through Religion. Lexington Books (Rowman and Littlefield). p. 62. ISBN   978-0-7391-6737-3.
  16. Ziad, Waleed (2021-12-14). Hidden Caliphate: Sufi Saints beyond the Oxus and Indus. Harvard University Press. p. 88. ISBN   978-0-674-26937-8.
  17. Amanat, Abbas (2018-11-26). The Persianate World: Rethinking a Shared Sphere. BRILL. p. 143. ISBN   978-90-04-38728-7.